


The Black Cat

by franscats



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen, Sentinel Bingo Card
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 03:49:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13872492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franscats/pseuds/franscats
Summary: William and Naomi meet at a small diner and discuss Blair and Jim.





	The Black Cat

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for the sentinel bingo prompt - mind games

Naomi Sandburg put down her coffee cup and glanced at the door as William Ellison entered the small diner. She recognized him immediately despite never having met him before. A serious older gentleman, she could see that Jim had inherited his staid bearing from his father and guessed the man was overly repressed and probably somewhat repressive. She quickly thanked the spirits that Blair had never been raised by someone so conventional.

“Mr. Ellison,” she rose and smiled, extending her hand as he nodded. “Naomi Sandburg.”

“Ms. Sandburg,” William returned the handshake. “I have to admit I was surprised when you called asking to speak with me.”

Naomi gave a smile in return and indicated the table. Taking a seat, William signaled the waitress who came over handing him a menu. He quickly ordered coffee and a pastry and then turned his full attention to the woman sitting across from him.

“I was hoping we could discuss our sons,” she answered.

William held up his hand as the waitress carried over his coffee and pastry. After the waitress left he turned back to her. “Our sons?” he questioned.

“Yes,” Naomi continued. “Because of the unfortunate dissertation mess, people are questioning why they are still friends and why Blair would be given a detective’s badge.”

William sat back. “I do know about the dissertation. Jimmy came to my house and explained that you, not Mr. Sandburg, released his work.”

Naomi sighed and nodded. “That is true. I had no idea that he was writing about Jim.” She paused to take a sip of coffee. “And I was trying to help him. But that doesn’t change the fact that people will doubt my son’s press conference if they remain together. And to be perfectly honest, Blair is meant for better things than police work.”

William sighed and nodded. “I feel the same way about Jimmy. He should have followed me into business. My other son, Steven, does well but Jimmy was the one with the head for business.”

Naomi smiled, not stating what she thought of business. “I was hoping that you and I could help them see that remaining together would not be good for either of them.”

“Jimmy is not one to listen to my advice,” William admitted and Naomi could detect a wistful tone.

“Lately, Blair is not listening to me either,” she admitted. “But I was thinking we might find a way around that.”

William sat back and looked a bit more closely at the woman. He could see that the “hippy” demeanor had disappeared and was replaced with an almost intense determination. But at this point, he knew it would be disastrous to interfere with Jimmy and Blair. They would never forgive him and he didn’t want to lose his son again. “What were you thinking?”

“Find a way to break up their friendship.”

“And if they are more than just friends?” William asked.

“Blair would tell me if he and Jim were lovers,” Naomi assured and William wondered if she was in denial.

There was no doubt in William’s mind that Blair and Jim were _together._ Jim hadn’t officially told him they were a couple but he had talked about sentinels and guides and that they were linked and bonded for life. William, always good at reading between the lines, could hear what his son was trying to tell him. And while he might not agree with _that_ lifestyle, he couldn’t deny they were good for each other - and not just as sentinel and guide. “I think we should stay out of this, Ms. Sandburg.” He glanced around and leaned forward. “I can’t understand it, but…” he paused for affect. “They’ve bonded…” William groped for a word that a hippy would understand and then added, “on a spiritual plane.”

“How would you know that?” she demanded.

William shrugged. “They told me,” he lied.

“They told you they bonded on a spiritual plane?”

Wondering if he had hit on some significant point, William nodded.

“I suppose they told you Blair’s spirit guide is a wolf?” She continued

William looked over her thoughtfully before deciding the woman had heard about Blair having a spirit guide at least once before and he could use the information in this little mind game. “Yes and Jim’s guide.” William glanced around and noted a small black kitten outside. “Jim’s guide is a feline,” he added after a moment.

“So then it is true, they belong together,” Naomi sat back in defeat. She could fight Blair, she could fight Jim, but she couldn’t fight the spirits.

William nodded his agreement. “I’m sorry but I don’t think there is anything we can do.”

“Not against the spirits,” Naomi agreed before finishing her coffee and signaling for the check. The waitress returned and William insisted on paying the bill before they walked outside.

Turning she looked at Jim’s father. If he could believe in spirits than perhaps there was more to him than it seemed, just as there was more too Jim. “I’m glad we talked,” she said. “I’ll need time to process but you have shown me the path and I thank you for that.”

William nodded and watched as she got in her car and drove away. Turning back to look at the diner, he noticed the small black kitten sitting near the door watching him. The cat seemed to wink at him, as though they shared a secret, and then, much to William’s surprise, morphed, growing, becoming a black jaguar. It blinked at him, its startling blue eyes reminiscent of Jim’s and then disappeared, leaving William standing before the diner wondering if he maybe had told Naomi the whole truth after all.


End file.
